It's Hard to See When You're Stuck in the Middle
by Signorina Sirena
Summary: Following up where the manga left off, this story takes place after the graduation ceremony at the end of School Rumble Z and after the pie throwing thing in America at the end of School Rumble. Follow Eri as she re-examines her life & visits Japan again.
1. Chapter 1

"Miss, I would like some more champagne, please."

Eri Sawachika smiled. It sure was nice when they were polite. After years of being the one in command, Eri had taken it upon herself to become the subservient one. She told her friends and family that she wanted to experience the other side of life, at least during her job, and not a one of them questioned it. Ok…Nakamura questioned it, but he didn't say a word. Besides that, he knew her true motivation and vowed to help her in any way possible. His loyalty was supreme and she thanked him for every ounce of it.

"Of course, ma'am!" she replied with a smile and a nod of her bright blonde head. The passenger smiled warmly back at the young stewardess and raised her champagne flute for a refill.

As the chilled light golden liquid filled the elegant glass, Eri thought about the trip she would soon be taking herself. Should she fly coach or first class? Or even a private jet? The Sawachika family certainly had their share of those at her ready disposal. Hmm.

Nakamura waited around the corner from the airport with an inconspicuous black sedan car. Ever since her high school graduation, the young mistress had become utterly fascinated with the life of the common people. She had also felt the need to get away from Japan and applied to colleges in England, where she was readily accepted at Cambridge. She studied hard, played very little (if at all) and graduated with a bachelor's degree in social anthropology. Nakamura knew she wasn't planning on doing anything with it, but he watched proudly as she fulfilled one dream after another, finally becoming an overqualified airline stewardess for British Airways. Nakamura smiled inwardly when he heard her quick step coming around the corner; he'd know her light footsteps anywhere. With her head ducked down, she stepped to the car and furtively ducked into the backseat. Quickly, Nakamura stowed her bag and hopped up front, started the car and eased back out into the street. He fought the urge to look immediately into rearview mirror once he was steadily moving down the road and so he switched on the radio.

"Nice to see you, too, Nakamura," said the amused voice of his mistress.

"Miss, it is always a pleasure and a godsend to have you back in this car."

"Well, I hope it's a pleasure to have me home for a time, too."

That you know, Miss." He could feel her gaze and gave in. Looking into the rearview mirror, he saw the young mistress, resplendent in even a plain dark blue uniform and red and blue ascot, smiling her natural glorious smile at him.

"It's so good to be home!"

Looking out of the car window, she smiled again. Funny, but to her, home would always be Japan, despite having been raised and gaining a further education in England. She even lived in England now, as she worked full-time for the airline, but she came back to Japan whenever she was granted a break. Of course, she also had various apartments and condos across the globe, courtesy of her family, for the ease of her chosen occupation, but that was beside the point. Right after graduating high school, she thought about fighting her background – giving up all that was granted to her because of her wealth and status – but she mulled it over for a long time and decided against it.

However, she did decide that she wanted to lead as normal a life as possible most of the time. She had done so for the most part during high school and she'd loved every second of it, especially her wonderfully normal friends at her gloriously normal, everyday school. It was a concession her parents had been hard pressed to accept, but she was their beautiful prize, their Eri; they always gave in to her…even with the marriage negotiations.

Of course, her parents had never once thought that she would try to defy them on that point; they knew through the family servants that she'd had no interest in the many boys who'd asked her out. Surely she would allow an arranged marriage. But when she hadn't accepted, when she'd showed up at the family home with a tall, dark stranger, they were genuinely surprised, but they capitulated. A second time and the same tall man entered their home with Eri on his arm; they gave up all hope of arranging her marriage and had yet to try again. She seriously doubted that they would. That man was Kenji Harima.

His image flashed in Eri's mind and she flinched. It still hurt. Any thought of him was just that: him or he. Never his name. That hurt. She'd never had the chance to call him by his first name, though she'd practiced it alone in her room when they were under the pretense of engagement.

_Why didn't I ever say to him, "Kenji, I love you." I'm so immature. I only ever called him Whiskers and Harima. I even denied him the chance to stay in my house! Why didn't I let him stay? Oh, because I didn't want to show him how much he turned my head. Because I couldn't let him get that close. Because Nakamura and Masaru would screw everything up and scare him away forever. And then he ended up living with Yakumo and Sara in the Tsukamoto household. I maintained my bossy face for a whole school year and I don't think he ever knew the truth of my feelings. Is that a relief? That he didn't ever guess? I really don't think I gave him any hint…except maybe when we held hands for show at dinners and on the way back to the car afterwards. Did he ever notice that he made me shiver? That my palms were sweaty? That I couldn't look him in the eye once we were away from whoever it was we were trying to fool? He was always gruff and silent. The smiles were forced. I felt awful for forcing him into that. He was trapped and I did that to him. And I'm sure he still ached for Tenma. Granted, it was a love that would never be reciprocated, but what I did was so wrong. After graduation, I freed him from his obligation. _

It was dark and Nakamura had just dropped Harima off in front of the front gates of the Sawachika home. The young "couple" had just come from a dinner given to the young miss' parents by their illustrious friends and it was time for the young man to depart. Nakamura was just about to drive off when the young mistress said that she needed to talk to the young man for a minute and that she'd be along shortly; he should put the car in the carriage house and she'd meet him inside. Nakamura smiled to himself and nodded his head.

"As you wish, Young Miss."

The car struck off slowly down the drive and Eri stood, watching it go, her long blonde hair down around her shoulders like a golden shawl. She turned to the tall young man heading over to a lonely motorcycle parked by the front gate.

"Hey, Whiskers?"

He turned, his hair blowing in the light breeze. "Yeah, Princess?"

Gulp. _Don't look at his eyes. Look at his nose._ "Can we take a walk in the garden? Alone?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Sure, but we're never really alone at your place. You know that, right?"

She nodded. "Then…the temple garden?"

He thought for a second and nodded his head. Eri's eyes widened as she lowered her head.

"Hm." She looked up to see him contemplating the sky. "We should take the bike. They won't know where we're going and we'll be too fast to follow well." Lowering his head, his bangs covered his eyes and he turned and headed over to where he'd parked the motorcycle earlier.

Eri's heart sank to her toes. _Oh man. Alone with him. Alone. With. Him. Just a little bit of acting and all of this will be over. No more guilt, no more pain. He will be free and that's just what I want. I know that now._

Eri hurried over to Harima and climbed onto the bike behind him. She hesitated before placing her hands gently on the leather jacket he wore.

"You're gonna need to hold on better than that, Princess. We gotta jet."

Following his gaze to the front door, Eri saw Nakamura eyeing them with curiosity. She wrapped her arms around Harima's middle and he started the bike, speeding out of the driveway with a burst of power.

Out on the road, everything whizzed by with an intensity that made her eyes burn, so she closed them and the world slowed to a standstill. Here she was, holding Kenji Harima close, riding on his motorcycle to the place where she would finally break their engagement and end their agreement. He would be thrilled, she was sure. She thought about how he would take it: either jumping for joy or stoically nodding and disappearing from her life. Suddenly, the ride was over and he was waiting for her to release him from her grip so he could stand. Eri blushed.

"Sorry. We went so fast…"

"Yeah," he agreed. "Got stuff to do."

"Right." She stood and indicated that they walk away from the entrance. Together but separately they entered the quiet water garden beyond the main temple grounds, Harima following her like an ominous shadow. Stopping beneath a willow, Eri turned to face him and her breath caught in her throat. He was so handsome with his dark skin and long, dark hair. His eyes were bright and, though they were wary now, they usually had a hint of innocence and mischievousness. It was now or never. He would never look at her kindly again if she kept this pretense up. She could see it was wearing him down, always having to accompany her. He'd even put up with teasing at school with only the occasional beat down to maintain his delinquent status. She was horrible.

"Uh, Whiskers?" She breathed again.

"Yeah?"

_Do it. Pull it off quickly and get back to reality. This dream world is killing him. It has to be. _

A short intake of breath and she closed her eyes. "It's over."

"Huh?"

She looked up and saw his eyebrows furrowed in confusion, his eyes so bright and natural.

"That's it. It's over," she said. "We can stop pretending now." He blinked and raised an eyebrow.

Rolling her eyes, Eri shouted, "This fake engagement! Ugh. I don't know how to put it any plainer, you thickheaded numbskull, so get it straight: our arrangement is done!" She lowered her voice to just above a whisper. "Your obligation to me is fulfilled. Thank you for your help." _I needed your strength to see me through._

Eri took another deep breath and stared at her shoes. She couldn't bear to look up and see excitement and relief all over his handsome face. He remained quiet and she looked over at his shoes, which led to his trousers, his button down shirt under the leather jacket, his dark skin, his face, his eyes…he was staring at her. Eri felt a flush creep over her pale features, but she maintained his gaze. She felt tears rising out of the depths of her heart and she took a deep breath as he watched. The tears fell back into their pool and she cast her glance at the beautiful moonlit pond in the garden.

"It's ok. You can leave. I'll call for a ride home." She raised her cell phone out of her purse and let it drop back down. She could feel his gaze as if it were burning her skin. She couldn't look at him again. He had to go now, but she had to let him know she was sorry. For holding him hostage, for embarrassing him, for trying to erase Tenma from his mind with her ever-present presence.

"Whiskers, I'm so sorry."

"Sorry? Why should you be sorry?"

"I…because I…because I am." She looked down again.

"That's it, huh?"

She nodded.

"I won't accept."

"What did you just say?" Looking up, she saw him leaning on the willow, arms crossed.

"I said that I didn't accept your apology. That's all."

Eri's immediate reaction was rage and she flushed, the corners of her mouth turning downwards, but she just stared. "Explain yourself."

"We're even. No need to be sorry for circumstances _I_accepted."

"…against your will," she murmured.

"What was that, Princess?"

"NOTHING!" She lunged and slapped him across the face. "JUST ACCEPT MY APOLOGY!"

Oh no! She caught herself immediately after her hand connected to his cheek. She brought the stinging palm up to her mouth in shock. Her tears overflowed her heart and ran in twin rivulets down her cheeks.

"I never wanted to hurt you. I never wanted to force you into this, I just needed you so..."

Beyond the tears, Eri saw Harima's eyes widen at this almost-confession. She faltered and shook her head.

"Your strength. I needed your strength. I don't know anyone who could have done what you did. You did all this for me when you already have a girl that you love. You called me your friend and I couldn't help myself. I depended on you and took advantage of your kindness by holding you all year long when…when…"

Her tears finally obscured her vision of him, standing tall in the dark.

"When you could have been healing your own heart!"

With a sob, Eri sank to the ground and cried her heart into her cold hands, her shoulders convulsing with each breath.

_All I ever do is hurt people. I don't mean to, but I do._ _Even those I love the most._  
>Eri thought about Tenma and the night the silly girl had spent awaiting her, while she had no plans to show up.<br>_I try to apologize to him and I slap him to try and FORCE him to accept my stupid apology. Tenma's a rocket scientist compared to me. How can I be so stupid? With a stunt like this, I'll never be worthy of anyone's love! Especially his._

When her sobbing quieted and she leaned silently into the tree beside her, she was startled to still feel Harima still standing there in front of her.

"You're going to freeze," he said.

"Because my heart's so cold?" she sniffled.

"No. Because you're sitting on the ground in a dress with no sleeves in early spring."

Mortified, Eri blushed and hugged her own shoulders. "I knew that."

"Uh huh." She heard him shift and suddenly, he was crouched in front of her, his jacket over her shoulders. Her blush deepened.

"Hey."

Eri stayed silent.

"You know, you're not as cold as you think. Pride isn't the same thing as having an icy heart. You love. I know it."

Eri's heart pounded in her ears. _He knew it? Then he can tell how I feel? And he hasn't run away?  
><em>  
>"Tsukamoto loves you and you love her." Eri's breathing stopped for a beat.<br>_  
>Tenma. He's thinking about Tenma.<br>_  
>"Same with Suou and Takano. You almost broke their hearts last year when you were about to change schools. Even I could see that."<p>

Her head was swimming. So he didn't know she loved him. It was painful and yet a relief. AND he was still thinking about Tenma first! She wanted to scream. She wanted to…Eri looked up at his earnest expression. He was still talking. She wanted to silence him with a kiss. She wanted…

"Ok?"

She shook her head. "Ok what?"

"We're even. You helped me when I was in a dangerous situation and now you're telling me we're good here. Then we're even, right?"

"Sure. Even."

"Good, now let's get you home so you won't catch a cold."

He'd driven her home, her arms clasped in front of him. She was blissfully warm embracing him and, at the door, they said goodbye to each other.

"You ok now, Princess? You sure they'll take it all right?"

"Take what?"

"That we're through."

Eri's heart sank.

"Yeah. They'll be fine. I don't think they're going to try again."

His eyes were searching her face; she looked away.

"And if they do?"

"Then I'll face it by myself. I'm too good at hiding behind someone else's strength."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes." Eri was exhausted and it hit her all at once. Her eyelids fluttered and she swayed. Harima grabbed her arm and held her up.

"You ok, Princess?"

Weakly she shoved him away.

"I'm fine. I just…just…" She turned away from him. She was going to cry again. She couldn't help it. Eri opened the door and whispered in English.

"I just don't deserve you, Whiskers."

She felt his hand on her arm, staying her. She trembled from the cold and the ache in her heart.

"What did you say? I didn't hear you."

"I was speaking in English. You won't understand it."

"I don't care. Tell me anyway."

Eri repeated it, again in English: "I said I just don't deserve you. Not just your strength anymore. You."

One last time, she looked up into his eyes before she closed the door. And that was the last she'd seen of him until the get together in America, and that was only for an hour, tops; he'd cut out before she'd gotten to even try to talk to him alone.


	2. Chapter 2

Eri sighed as the car pulled into the driveway of her house. She was getting too emotional with her memories. She had a long day ahead of her and she would need whatever strength she had left. That was one thing she'd definitely learned after releasing Harima: she could finally stand up for herself and she could do it well, too. Eri performed so well that she even fooled herself into thinking she'd changed completely. As Nakamura helped her out of the car, she wondered if she'd fool her friends. Maybe, but not likely. She smiled. There was definitely no fooling Akira and Mikoto had always seen through every inch of Eri's British pride, even if she played like it were otherwise. Even Tenma could ascertain whether or not Eri was bluffing for the most part. A smile touched her lips. My friends certainly are wonderful. Oh! Thinking of friends…  
>Eri pulled out her trusty pink cell phone and flipped it open. The text message from Akira was still displayed on the screen, in English, no less.<p>

'Welcome home, Eri. See you in a few.'

Eri's smile grew as she flipped the phone closed and went to order some tea for her soon-to-be-arriving friends. That particular text message came through right as she set her British pumps on Japanese soil in the airport. If she didn't have an inkling that Nakamura was on Akira's payroll (for more than just informing the quiet girl on Eri's whereabouts, she was sure), Eri would have guessed that Akira was psychic. Hmm. Also if she didn't know Akira better. The girl was strange, no doubt, and she often came off as creepy and uncannily wary to people who didn't know her well, but to Eri and their other three friends, Akira was the zany one, believe it or not.

Eri stepped into the kitchen and saw Masaru, her household's maid, busy at the stove.

"Ah, Masaru!"

The maid turned and she was shocked to see his normally grim expression replaced with one of utter despair, his tears falling into the pot of whatever he was making. _Ohhhh boy…maybe not homemade dinner tonight_, she thought with an inward grimace as she extended her arm to pat him on his shoulder.

"What's the matter, Masaru? Is everything ok? It's nice to see you again." Tentatively, she smiled.

The large, vaguely mustachioed man wearing a maid's uniform sniffled, his raw, red eyes continually draining tears down his face.

"So happy," he said gruffly with a loud sniffle. "So happy Miss is home!"

With a clang he dropped the ladle with which he had been stirring and raised his stained apron to his face. Loudly blowing his nose, Masaru sobbed for a second before dropping the apron and trying for a brave, pleasant smile complete with a runny nose and tear tracks down his floured face.

"Miss, he's just ecstatic." Nakamura's voice sounded over her shoulder and she turned to see her competent butler striding into the kitchen. "Your last visit was almost a year ago and he's been talking of nothing but your return ever since."

Eri frowned. "Has it really been a year?"

"Your previous stay here was during last year's cherry blossom festival, but only for the duration of the Suoh's fair. You flew out the final day and have checked in via email and phone, but have just now passed the threshold. Like I said before, it is more than a pleasure for everyone to have you home. There is no life for a servant beyond serving."

"Certainly my friends have kept you somewhat busy, right? Especially Akira..."

When she first learned she was accepted into Cambridge five years ago, Eri told her remaining friends in Japan – Akira, Mikoto and Tenma's little sister, Yakumo – to make use of her house and her servants, who would work for the three girls whenever they needed or wanted any sort of assistance.  
>"Yes, Miss. But it is not quite the same. Again, we are all quite glad to have you home."<p>

Eri smiled widely. "Well, I'm happy to see you all again, especially you two." Impulsively she leaned forward, hugged Masaru, turned and did the same to Nakamura.

"And I can't wait for dinner!" She winked and flounced out of the kitchen just like she used to in years past. That set Masaru off on another bout of sobbing and, as she headed up the servant's stairs, she heard Nakamura trying to pull his ward out of his pit of despairing happiness.

Smiling, Eri headed to her room in the farthest corner of the second floor. As soon as she set foot inside, she received another text message from Akira.

'Go to your biggest window.'

_Oh boy. What has she done now_, thought Eri as she crossed over to the big bay window that overlooked the koi pond in the garden and climbed onto the light blue cushions. Looking out, she saw nothing but her family's tranquil garden and the wall that locked the Sawachikas away from the rest of Yagami. A gardener in a hat was puttering around with some box hedges and Eri squinted to see if that person could be Akira in disguise. _Maybe_, she thought as her phone chimed again.

'Is the sun out?'

Eri typed out a positive reply and waited.

'Then it's a good day. Come and see me.'

She frowned. _That's just silly! Why on Earth should I go see her when she and Mikoto are going to be here in a few hours anyway! Doesn't she account for any jetlag? What if I wanted to take a nap or something_…the phone chimed again.

'You don't take naps.'

Her eyes widened. Again with the pseudo-psychic stuff. _Akira sure can be creepy, but that's just the way she likes it and_ – Eri smiled – _she knows it will put off any frustration I had at her silly request. _She closed the phone and tossed it over to her canopied bed where it landed on the creamy white coverlet. Akira wouldn't message again and she would go see her and even bring her back here to meet up when Mikoto came over later. She headed over to her closet, kicked off her British Airways pumps and undid her ascot with one hand while she searched for a suitable outfit with the other. Tossing her ascot into a hamper that was designated for dry cleaning, Eri selected a camisole colored like a pink cherry blossom along with mid-thigh length white shorts and a white shrug sweater that came to her elbows.

When she had changed, Eri slipped on her some white sandals, grabbed her phone and her bag and headed downstairs.

"Nakamura," she called as she mounted the main staircase. "I'm going over to see Akira!" She wanted to tell him that she could walk over there – it was only a few blocks away – but she knew better. Once she was home in Japan, in the Sawachika household, she had to surrender most of her routine daily actions to the ministrations of Nakamura and Masaru. If she didn't… She thought about Masaru's tears from earlier and shook her head. She just had to. That was that.

"The car is ready, Miss," said Nakamura, who was waiting at the front door for her. Eri nodded.

"Of course it is," she smiled.

Nakamura opened the door for her and there was the car, idling in the drive. _At least it's not the limo_, she thought as she seated herself in the backseat.

The drive was uneventful and short and in a bit she was heading up the building's stairs to Akira's apartment. She came to Akira's door and buzzed the doorbell.

"Come in," came a muffled reply.

She turned the handle and walked into a cloud of white smoke.

"Akira?" Eri yelled, dropping her purse and waving her arms in a frantic attempt to relieve some of the smokiness. "AKIRA?"

As she rounded the corner into the kitchen, Eri almost bumped into Akira, who was holding a smoldering pot with a lid over it.

"Akira, are you-"

"Don't worry. It's contained," she intoned with her usual casualness.

Covering her mouth with a hand, Eri coughed and waved her other hand around.

"What's with all this?" she asked her stoic friend, who was placing the pot back onto her glass top stove.

"A special tea I'm working on," replied Akira as she switched on a small cordless fan that was sitting on the other counter. "I'm almost ready with it."

Eyeing the pot dubiously, Eri snorted.

"What's in it? Acid?"

Akira looked up sharply and narrowed her violet eyes. "Did Nakamura say anything to you?"

"What?" Eri reached up and pulled the cord to start the ceiling fan. "Of course not, I'm just joking – you mean there IS acid in there?"

Akira shrugged and turned back to the pot, which was still emitting some white fumes. "I was joking as well."

Somehow Eri doubted it, but put it aside.

"You were supposed to be coming over for dinner at my place with Mikoto. Did you change your mind or something?"

"No, I just wanted to talk to you privately without hurting Mikoto's feelings…and get a ride in the limo."

Eri laughed out loud.  
>"You could have just called Nakamura for that and we can talk on the phone any time, but this is fine. Just make sure to remind me to ask for the limo when we're getting ready to leave. He brought me in the car."<p>

"I know," said Akira, taking off her oven mitts and placing them next to the fuming pot.

"Soo…what did you want to talk to me about that just couldn't wait?" Eri stretched and leaned on the counter, crossing her arms.

Akira tilted her head and thought for a second, eyeing Eri.  
>"You look happy."<p>

Eri smiled widely and nodded her thanks. "I'm glad I'm home is all."

"Hmm. How is the airline?"

"Oh, it's normal. Usual. Nothing extraordinary. I got hit on by another captain the other day. I told you about the other one, but this one was real forward, trying to corner me in the walkway before the flight."

"I take it he didn't get far?"

"Nope," replied Eri with a toss of her hair. "I gave him a few choice words, filed a complaint and refused to serve on that flight. Oh…" she giggled a bit. "I also let the word out about his perversion. I don't think he's going to get very far with any more BA girls any time soon."

"And so he shouldn't." Washing her hands off in the sink, Akira watched the water run through her fingers. "He's back in town, you know."

"Captain McArthur? Why would he- oh." Eri's face fell. "You mean him."  
>Akira watched Eri's face intently.<br>"Yeah. Him. I thought I should tell you so it wouldn't ruin our evening with Mikoto."

Eri defensively crossed her arms in front of her chest and leaned back on the wall beside her.

"It won't. But if you were worried that it actually might, you could've told me after Mikoto left or something. Not that it matters…"  
>"But she won't be leaving."<p>

"What?"

"Didn't she say? We're spending the night with you."

Eri's eyebrows shot up under her bright blonde bangs and her amber eyes sparkled.

"Serious? What are we? High schoolers again?" She laughed.  
>"It would seem," replied Akira.<p>

"Ok! Fine with me! I like nostalgia as much as the next person!" Eri laughed again and pulled her phone out of her purse. "Let me call Nakamura and he'll get the camp beds ready, and I'll tell him to pick us up in the limo. Gimme a minute."

Akira nodded as Eri headed out to the living room to make her call. She watched the blonde and gave a minute smile. She noted that some things would never change and Eri's heart held some of those things. Pulling her own cell phone out of her pocket, Akira deftly typed out a text message to Mikoto, sent it and replaced the phone before Eri was done. It would be a great night and a fantastic evening.


	3. Chapter 3

Dinner with Mikoto and Akira was everything she'd hoped it would be. Eri smiled and leaned back in her chair as Mikoto recounted another exasperating tale of distress brought about by her childhood friend and now boyfriend, Haruki Hanai.

"It's not like we wanted to be in the middle of all that," said Mikoto with a wide grin as she took another gulp of beer. "But he just couldn't help it! He was outraged that the girl should be treated like that in a public place and that no one else was jumping up to help her, so he excused himself and went right over there, folded his arms and spoke his mind to that lowlife, never realizing the whole time that it was Yoshidyama! You remember him…the kid with the bad attitude and tall hair? Yeah, well…let's just say that he was livid…"

Though they tried a modest relationship at the end of high school that didn't work at the time, Mikoto and Haruki had finally become a real item during their third year at the University – already a few years back now– and they were still slightly awkward about it. Their fumbling romance was the source of much mirth for Eri and Akira, who discussed it over long distance phone calls and the odd visits that Akira randomly paid Eri around the world as she traveled with the airline. Since graduation from the University, Mikoto spent more and more time with Haruki, helping him prepare for a life of public service and it was a wonderful break for her to spend a day or two with her friends.

"So, Mikoto, when's the wedding?" asked Eri with a malicious little grin. She eyed Akira conspiratorially and frowned when Akira looked away from her. "What?" She asked, turning back to Mikoto. Her eyes narrowed. "Don't tell me he actually asked you."

Mikoto's face flushed red and Akira took a sip of her tea. Eri's eyes widened and she gasped.

"You're engaged?"

Mikoto nodded. "He asked me a few days ago. I was going to call you, but I figured it'd be more fun to tell you in person, seeing as you were getting here in a day or two…" she trailed off, looking away.

Mikoto had to admit that this way was definitely more awkward than if she had taken the chance to call Eri and let her know. Eri had been engaged twice, both of which were mostly fake, but Mikoto felt uncomfortable telling Eri about her true engagement to someone who reciprocated her affection. _Maybe it would've been better to tell her over the phone_, thought Mikoto, looking intently at her beer can. It would have at least given the blonde a few days to let it soak in before putting on a happy face when she saw her friend again. Eri's jealousy could cause a lot of problems…

"I'm so happy for you!" Looking up, Mikoto saw Eri beaming at her, breaking the tense momentary silence that had quieted the room.

"Serious?" Mikoto's eyebrows shot up.

"Why wouldn't I be serious?" Crossing her arms in front of her, Eri donned her imperious princess look. "Besides. I've known this would happen for a while. I had a feeling. I _am_ an expert on engagements, you know, having been engaged twice myself." She winked at Mikoto, who laughed and threw an arm behind her head – a habit she had yet to break from her teenage years. Akira took another sip from her tea and nodded at no one in particular.

Leaning forward, Eri encouraged Mikoto to recount how Haruki had asked her, and Mikoto obliged with a smile.

"We were at dinner together. He'd asked me out like usual, after a relaxing day of sparring, and," Eri rolled her eyes and Mikoto stopped. "Hey! It IS relaxing! You even admitted it yourself once upon a time!" Eri nodded assent and shrugged her shoulders before indicating that Mikoto should continue her story.

"AAANYWAYS," she shouted, looking pointedly at Eri, who smiled. "He was trying real hard to act like normal once we were actually in the restaurant. I've got him convinced that he surprised me, but he was way more nervous than he usually is, so I figured from the start of the evening that something was up. He was really quiet all through the salad and I knew he was either going to ask me to marry him or break up with me." Mikoto laughed again. "Either way, I knew something was happening."

"You didn't really think he was going to break up with you, did you?" asked Eri, playfully derisive.

"Of course not. He's too cheap to have bought me dinner just for that!" Mikoto's laughter mingled with Eri's while Akira's smile hid behind the rim of her teacup.

"Any idea of when the wedding will be?" asked Eri.

Mikoto shook her head. "This just happened the other day. I'm not really thinking that far ahead. I kind of want to get my bearings first. You know…get used to the idea of being a wife before it actually happens."

Her friends nodded as Nakamura stepped into the small upstairs dining room where the girls were relaxing.

"Yes, Nakamura?"  
>"Miss, three baths have been drawn, if you care to bathe now."<p>

Eri nodded and he exited, bowing slightly.

"Good thing, too," said Mikoto, standing up with a yawn. "I'm getting a little bit sleepy and the bath will wake me up some."

Akira set her teacup down and placed her spoon across the rim of the cup before she stood, while Eri just got up and watched Mikoto head out of the room and down the hall to the bathrooms.

"It's weird isn't, Akira?"

"Hm?"

Mikoto chose the first door down the bathroom hallway and closed it behind her with a slight wave at her friends. Eri smiled in return, but stayed where she was.

"That one of us is actually engaged."

"Not really."

"Well," she replied with a shrug. "I think it is."  
>"You were engaged first."<p>

Eri rolled her eyes at her friend's taunt. The slight amusement in Akira's voice indicated the statement's status as a joke, but it still stung.

"You know what I mean."

"Of course."

Alone in her private bathroom, Eri sank into a blissfully warm bath. Cherry blossoms floated on the steamy surface of the water and she contemplated pouring in some bubble bath, but decided against it, opting for Epsom salt to ease her weary body. The life of a stewardess was a little rough on the legs, but Eri didn't mind. In fact, if she thought about it too closely, she had to admit that she sort of enjoyed the ache brought about by a hard day's work…something she hadn't ever done before graduating from Cambridge; she didn't count the endless hours of constant studying and writing she'd endured to obtain her degree as work, just necessary. Leaning back into her bath pillow, Eri languidly swished her hands through the water and placed them on top of it, enjoying the feeling of the surface tension. She wanted to clear her mind as much as possible, but her attempts were fruitless; her thoughts kept returning to Mikoto's engagement.

_Hanai's a great guy,_ she thought, closing her eyes. _He's mature and he's passionate about the things and people he cares for. He's perfect for Mikoto. Always has been. It's great when feelings are reciprocated._

Eri frowned at the turn her thoughts had taken, but she was too committed now to think of anything else. Going back, she remembered the weeks that led up to the final graduation ceremony at Yagami High. Tenma had followed her love, Karasuma, to America a year prior, where he was receiving treatment for an illness; Yakumo, Tenma's younger sister and a leading member of her class, had been charged with giving a speech at the ceremony; Mikoto was trying to begin a timid relationship with Hanai; Akira was watching everything happen; and, as for Eri, well, she was already "engaged" to Harima for a second time and she knew that it would soon come to an end.

The day after the "engagement" announcement, Harima's cousin Itoko kicked him out of the apartment they shared and he had come to Eri for a place to stay. Cornered and flustered, she immediately turned him down and he had no choice but to stay with Yakumo and her friend Sara at the Tsukamoto home, which was, admittedly, a bit lonely without Tenma's exuberant presence. There, they formed a strange family trio and lived that way for a whole school year up to graduation.

When she first heard the news of Harima's new living arrangements from Akira, Eri's already stormy mood darkened and the waves of jealousy (that she'd been trying to rein in when Tenma had been around) refocused themselves on Yakumo. Though she already tried to spend as much time with Harima as she could during the days in class without seeming too clingy, Eri worked overtime for the entire next school year to come up with and arrange parties in the evenings that she claimed they needed to attend as a couple to keep up the appearance of their engagement to her family and her friends; she rarely gave him the chance to eat dinner with Yakumo and Sara, let alone spend whole weekends at the house. Every time she told him about these plans, Harima would angrily consent after complaints that he just wanted to work on his manga in peace. Then, Eri's temper would get the better of her and she would ream him out before either hanging up on him or storming out of the house. This went on for a whole other school year and it hurt to think of it now. If only she'd acted more like an adult. How on Earth was he supposed to truly fall in love with her when she was acting like such a spoiled child? Because she was.

Eri sank lower into her bath, her good mood completely gone. Thinking about now, she realized that Tenma was trying her hardest to become a doctor, Mikoto was going to marry Hanai, Akira was already doing some strange work that required her to travel extensively…Eri figured she was probably the only one whose mind was still dredging up the past. She washed herself slowly, still lost in reflection.

_Ok. I had hoped and kind of thought on and off that he had feelings for me._ She thought about the way he'd walked her home under an umbrella when she'd been deserted by her father yet again. She remembered his answers to questions that Tenma had forced her to ask; every single one seemingly pointing to her. She thought about the grudging kindness he'd shown her when he was posing as a worker at Mikoto's dojo and then pretending to be her fiancé for the first time. They had danced together. He cared when she hurt her ankle. Even at the forced dinners and parties, they'd danced together and shared a few genuine moments of togetherness. Of course she couldn't forget the way he'd grabbed her hand and earnestly entreated her to remain at Yagami High…his insistence that he was her friend. _But during all that, he truly cared only for Tenma. I thought it might just be a crush, but I was wrong. _

It was the day of the final graduation ceremony for Eri's class at Yagami High. Harima wasn't anywhere to be found and, as his fiancée, she was tasked with finding him so that he would be present. She didn't mind and she knew exactly where to find him; Eri went to the temple and, sure enough, as she rounded the corner to the temple steps, there he was, sitting and quietly murmuring to himself. She wanted to sit somewhere and eavesdrop, but time was running short; the ceremony would begin soon.

"What in the world are you muttering, Whiskers?" she asked, putting her hands on her hips. "If we don't hurry, we won't make it on time." He didn't seem surprised to hear her there with him.

"But why do I have to go," he growled, standing and rubbing his neck. "I'm only here because I wanted to work on my manga in peace."

She looked around and didn't see any trace of this elusive manga. Eri sighed and closed her eyes. "Tell me. When are you going to stop being so self centered?"

"I should ask the same thing of you," he muttered as Eri smacked the back of his head and stormed off. He followed her, hands in his pockets, and she smiled because she thought she had won.

When they arrived, Eri met up with Akira and Mikoto, Harima still in tow.

"Are they here yet?"

Akira nodded while Mikoto grinned and said, "Oh yeah! Yakumo won't know what to do!"

Turning to Harima, Eri raised an eyebrow and appraised him. "You think you can handle him without trying to kill him? He doesn't even remember you. Keep that in mind."

Harima grimaced. Did she really think he was that cruel? To beat up on an invalid? She knew better than that and so did he. He refused to take the bait. "Yup. I got it."

Nakamura appeared at a side door and the girls ran to him, Harima close on their heels, all of them elated. There, beyond the door was Tenma standing beside Karasuma, who was seated in a wheelchair. As soon as her friends entered, Tenma yelped and ran forward, throwing herself into the combined arms of her three friends. She looked the exact same and tears were running down her cheeks as she embraced Eri, Mikoto and Akira all at once.

"Guys! I'm so happy to be here!" She gave another squeeze and held Eri's hand. "Thank you for bringing us back for this, Eri! You're amazing!"

Eri blushed and waved away the praise. "It was nothing, silly. You would have made it on your own if you could and I know you wouldn't leave him behind."

At her mention of Karasuma, who sat smiling blandly in his wheelchair, Tenma turned and wiped her tears with the sleeve of her jacket. "Karasuma, these are our friends, Eri," she pointed, "Akira and Mikoto. Oh! Harima's here, too!" She ran forward again and grabbed Harima around the middle. He stood, frozen in place, enduring the embrace and Eri frowned a bit. She could see the absolute joy in Harima's face, even with the sunglasses on. As Tenma released him and turned back to Karasuma, Eri's smile returned when she saw Harima's gaze descend on the invalid; it was his turn for a little pain.

"Oh! But we gotta go! It's already started! I hear Hanai! Oh man, is Yakumo gonna freak! Let's go!" Tenma's joy and determination was radiant and everyone couldn't help but smile with her as she led Akira and Mikoto out of the door and over to the side of the presentation stage. Eri stood in the room with Nakamura, Harima and Karasuma, all of whom were silent. She noticed Karasuma's eyes on her and she smiled.

"It's nice to see you again, Karasuma. Thank you for keeping Tenma in such great spirits."

"You're welcome…"

"Sawachika. Eri."

"You're welcome, Sawachika." His formality and brevity were normal. At least he hadn't lost his _charming_ personality. Eri grinned. _Oh well. Tenma loves him and he's sweet…in his own way._ She glanced at Harima, who was looking at her as well. She blushed instantly and looked away, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

"What?" she said.

"Aren't you going up there with them?" he asked, leaning on the door frame.

"Oh, I'll go when I feel like it. I thought I'd give them a few minutes without me. I don't want Tenma to keep thanking me for this. It's not like it was a big deal or anything and I sure didn't plan it alone…"

"Thanks anyway," he said quietly as Karasuma looked back and forth between them. She couldn't see his eyes, but he was calm and he sounded truly grateful.

"I didn't do it for you," she said, turning to the other door where the girls had exited a moment earlier. "I did it for all of us." Nakamura opened the door for her and she heard Hanai introducing Yakumo to the student body and their guests. Eri dashed out and joined Mikoto and Akira, who were standing to listen as Yakumo began her speech.

"To all the graduates, congratulations on your achievement," she began.

Eri looked around. "Where is she?" she whispered to Mikoto.

"Backstage." Eri looked confused and Mikoto shrugged. "She had a plan of her own."

Towards the end of the well written speech, Yakumo's voice began to catch in her throat and she suddenly lowered her head, obviously trying to speak through tears.

"…of all…t-those days…that…w-we…shared…" she sniffled. "Shared with y…I'm sorry!" She bowed, sobbing, her face in her hands. Eri moved to do something and Mikoto stayed her with a hand on her shoulder. Suddenly, Tenma was up on stage with the microphone.

"Formal response!" She yelled, a determined look on her face. "From the representative of the graduates, Tenma Tsukamoto! That's me!" Tenma beamed and turned to her younger sister as the crowd began to cheer for the surprise.

"Good job, Yakumo," she said into the microphone.

Eri, Mikoto and Akira all joined in the clapping and cheers wholeheartedly as the sisters onstage embraced. In the excitement, Eri turned to see Harima's reaction and stopped in mid-clap. He was back by the side room where they'd greeted Tenma and Karasuma. He had wheeled Karasuma out to witness the scene and he was leaning casually forward onto the back of the wheelchair, gazing at Tenma onstage and saying something to Karasuma with a smile on his face. Eri's sharp eyes caught him mouth the word 'love.'

Her heart sank into her heels. Everything hope she'd had – about Harima getting over Tenma – was dashed. The look on his face was like nothing he'd ever shown to her, even on their good days. That was the look of true love. It had to be. And even with Tenma so in love with Karasuma that she moved overseas, Harima still felt that way about her. Eri took a deep breath and rejoined the cheering students so that she could keep up her happy appearance. Over the next few days, her guilt at holding Harima to their "engagement" overtook her and she decided to end it after a party that was actually being hosted by friends of her parents, not just one she'd arranged. Oh God…and he'd been free ever since that night on her doorstep and he'd never called or texted or anything.

Holding her breath and sliding all the way under the tepid scented bath water, Eri thought about him. She knew he left Japan and was traveling all over the place in America, England, South America…she'd heard that from Akira and her contacts in different airlines, but now he was back at the same time as she was and she knew he wouldn't bother to even call. If she saw him at all, it would be from afar and not too personal. She imagined an awkward greeting on her end and a sad attempt at a joke about their "engagement" being broken off…he would be quiet, distracted and would leave. Ugh. Her stomach turned and, still underwater, she opened her eyes and screamed. Above the surface of the water was a face looking earnestly at her. Eri sat up with a jolt and covered herself with her arms as she spat water everywhere.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?"


	4. Chapter 4

Mikoto, who was dressed in a robe with a towel wrapped turban-style on her head, laughed at Eri's spluttering. "Hey, I've seen you naked plenty of times. Why all the fuss?"

"Miko..." Eri's cheeks flushed and she looked askance, water dripping from her bangs down her face.

"I promise I won't do it again," said Mikoto. "I just wanted one last look before I settled into the idea of becoming a wife with no chances to look at a beautiful woman's body outside of a bathhouse filled with strangers..."

Eri's eyes widened as she looked up at Mikoto, who was sitting on the steps of the in-ground tub. "Whaaa?"

Mikoto waggled her eyebrows at Eri, who frowned.  
>"Very funny."<p>

Mikoto's laughter was high, loud and very infectious. In a second, Eri found herself smiling as she leaned forward on her arms at the side of the tub and looked questioningly up at Mikoto.

"Seriously though?" asked Mikoto. "I wanted to talk for a minute – just the two of us."

"What's on your mind?"

"My engagement." Mikoto saw a shadow pass over her best friend's eyes for a second and she looked a little closer. "You're really ok with it?"

"Of course, Miko!" Eri's smile seemed just a little forced, but mostly genuine. "Why wouldn't I be? My best friend is going to marry her childhood companion. That's the perfect scenario!"

"Yeah, but…" Mikoto looked away.

"But what?"

"You're not disappointed in me?"

"Disappointed? How…I mean, hell. WHY would I be disappointed in you?"

"For not telling you sooner, for accepting on the spot, for surprising you with the news with no forewarning at all…the list goes on."

Eri waved away the thoughts that Mikoto left hanging in the air. "Why should this have anything to do with me? This is YOUR engagement. It should be about you, the future blushing bride, not the bride's friend."

"Best friend," corrected Mikoto.

Eri smiled. "Best friend. But still, it's about you and what you want. You wanted to wait and surprise me, that's fine. As for accepting Hanai on the spot, I know for a fact that we've talked about you two getting hitched and you've always been very excited at the prospect. I would never think in a million years that you would leave him hanging or turn him down cold; that's just not you and it would've killed him." Eri smiled. "He's disciplined, but when he sets his mind to something, you won't hear the end of it until he's sure of disaster or he gets what he wants. EVERYONE knows that. There's no way you wouldn't have accepted immediately because if you'd leave him waiting, you would've been propositioned to death."

Mikoto looked shocked. "Wow. You've really thought this through."

"I haven't, really. I'm just not as shocked as you think I am. I know why you're being sensitive about this, and you should just forget it." Her amber eyes flashed with a quick hint of indignation. "Don't feel weird or obligated or shy about it, just be you and be happy about this!"

"Fine. I will," conceded Mikoto with a shrug before pointing a finger in Eri's face. "And YOU don't turn down my request to be my maid of honor and just be happy about it!"

For a second, Eri hesitated and Mikoto was afraid she might turn down the stated request, but Mikoto kept her expression determined and kept her finger directly in front of Eri's nose. Eri looked up at Mikoto and pushed her finger away.

"I'd be happy to," she said with a quick smile. "But what about Tenma and Akira, don't you think they might be hurt?"

"Oh no, I don't think so. Besides, there are four of us…with a probable three more weddings in the future besides mine. That makes three other chances for them to be maids of honor, so it should be fine! I don't think they'd be hurt at all."

"I think you have your math wrong. A person can't be a maid of honor at her own wedding, so, if you really think about it, per girl, that would be two possible weddings to be a maid of honor and…" she trailed of with a wink at Mikoto, who was frowning in exasperation.

"OF COURSE I want to be your maid of honor!" said Eri as Mikoto grinned and threw her hand back behind her head nervously. Eri's smile turned playfully devious. "And I'd totally hug you right now, but, seeing as I'm naked…unless your earlier statement still applies…" Eri moved to stand up and Mikoto stood with a jolt, her cheeks flushed.  
>"You know I was just kidding about that!"<p>

Eri sat back down and laughed. "I know, I know. I'll be out in just a second if you don't mind." She raised her hands out of the water and wiggled her pale fingers. "I'm all pruny and your little interrogation session didn't help."

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever. Just hurry up, ok? Akira probably thinks we abandoned her." She smiled and headed out, leaving Eri to finish her bathing.

In Eri's room, Nakamura had set up two "camp beds" for Akira and Mikoto, which were actually full sized beds on wheeled frames. He had also brought in hot tea, milk, cookies and ice cream for the girls to snack on, should they desire treats before bed. Used to this treatment, by the time Eri returned, Mikoto and Akira were already lounging in their pajamas on the beds and enjoying the snacks. Eri smiled at her friends' comfort and flopped down on her bed, her wet hair dripping slightly down the back of her night shirt.

"Soo…what did I miss?" she asked lightly as she saw Akira's gaze flash at Mikoto and quickly redirect to her.

"Nothing much," said Akira, lounging on a pile of pillows on top of her bed. Eri noticed she nodded slightly to Mikoto as she leaned over to pick up her tea cup.

"Well, actually…" said Mikoto. "We were wondering if you'd heard about Yakumo. Have you?"

"Heard what?" Her heart began beating harder. She tried to control her breathing and maintain her mostly uninterested demeanor. Yakumo was the person who Harima had lived with before embarking on his travels. She had also been, and probably still was, in love with Harima. An image of Harima on one knee in front of a beaming Yakumo flashed in her mind and she gulped a little too loudly. Both Akira and Mikoto noticed.

"That she's been accepted as a mangaka at one of the more prestigious weekly magazines."

Eri let out a sigh. "Oh, well that's good for her," she said with a genuine smile, although it was more out of relief than joy for Yakumo's good fortune. "She was always better at drawing manga than Whiskers was." _At least she doesn't draw 20,000 Tenmas,_ she thought a little bitterly. _Tenma!_ "Hey. Have either of you guys talked to Tenma in a while? I haven't heard a thing in nearly a month. Not even a text." Mikoto and Akira shook their heads.

"Nope," said Akira, reaching for a cookie. "But she was starting to study for her finals and working part-time at a clinic last time I spoke to her."

Eri shook her head, smiling. "I can't believe she's going to become a doctor."

"Uhh…I wouldn't say doctor anymore," said Mikoto.

"Why not?"

"Because she didn't have the grades for it."  
>"What?" asked Eri. "Not that I'm surprised…but she was so determined."<p>

Mikoto grinned nervously while even Akira looked surprised. "Yeah…I was talking to Sara yesterday while waiting for Yakumo to come home so I could congratulate her in person, and Sara mentioned that Tenma was aiming a little lower school-wise. I asked her why and she was starting to explain something about it when Yakumo came in." Mikoto sighed. "Yakumo said she was sorry that Tenma didn't have the chance to tell me herself, but she didn't think her big sis would come clean to us until her graduation, so she might as well tell me now.

Apparently, though she was trying really hard, Tenma just couldn't keep up with the other pre-med students and had to make a hard decision: drop out and give up on her dream of helping Karasuma all together, or adjusting it to fit her abilities. Her counselors suggested that she aim to become a nurse instead, as she's so personable and determined to do good; they thought she'd do well. Yakumo said that Tenma was crushed and is still getting over it, although she's adjusting to her new classes pretty well."

"That's a shame, but it is a better fit for her," said Akira, thoughtfully eyeing another cookie.

"Yeah," agreed Eri. "I just really thought her determination would beat out that silly streak she had in high school. I guess not. Tenma is still Tenma and even the most determined of people don't always get what they want."

"That's not true!" shouted Mikoto. "It's still what she wants – she gets to help Karasuma. Her determination is still getting her places!"

Shaking her head, Eri sighed. "But not exactly where she wanted to be." _I was determined too_, she thought, _and look where it got me. He was hurt by my actions and I just made myself look even worse in his eyes_. She grabbed a pillow and hugged it to her chest.

"Oh, you're just being melodramatic," said Mikoto. "She's still where she wants to be and that's that. Whether or not you're first in line or last, you're still in line."

"That's an awful analogy," smirked Eri as she ducked a pillow thrown by Mikoto.

"I agree," said Akira, who deftly plucked the pillow that was tossed in her direction out of the air and added it to the pile propping her up on the bed.

"You guys suck. My analogy doesn't!" She sent another pillow at Eri, who caught it on the side of the face. She launched one at Mikoto, who ducked, and a good pillow fight erupted in the center of Eri's room, the twenty-somethings laughing like the high schoolers they once were.

When things had calmed down, the snacks had been taken away and their teeth had been brushed, Eri, Mikoto and Akira relaxed on their beds in the dark, talking through their thoughts.

"It really is too bad for Tenma, but at least she's still able to stay by Karasuma's side and even help him as a nurse," said Eri, staring at the dark ceiling.

"I don't think they let you nurse people you know," said Akira. "But her knowledge and experience will surely come to help him in the long run."

"Do you think if we tell her that we know what happened and that we support her no matter what, she'll listen to us and maybe even make it over for a visit?" asked Mikoto.

"She might, but who knows," said Eri. "She can be stubborn sometimes. And she's embarrassed. She always knee-jerks when she's like that."

"Like someone else we know…" snickered Mikoto.

Eri flushed. Luckily it was dark and her friends couldn't see her. "Yeah. Whatever."

"Well, what do you say we take up the Tenma question with Yakumo?" asked Akira. "Her last day at Café Mercado is tomorrow. We could visit her there."

"You mean she's worked there all this time?" Eri's eyes widened.

"Good pay and the owner's a friend of her late father's. She never had to find another job so she could focus on her manga," said Mikoto with a shrug. "Sure worked out for her, didn't it?"

"Yeah. Sure did." _At least nothing else worked out for her, _thought Eri before catching herself and mentally chastising her selfish thoughts.

The girls fell silent and it seemed as though they had all fallen off to sleep. In fact, just as Eri's eyelids began to feel too heavy to keep open, she heard Mikoto whisper.

"Eri?" She waited a few seconds with no reply. "Eri?"

Not wanting to talk any longer, Eri turned over and remained silent.

"Guess she's asleep. Hey, Akira. You asleep?"

"No," came the terse reply.

"Eri is. I meant to ask you earlier if you thought he was back because of Yakumo." Eri's eyelids were no longer heavy and, though she kept her eyes shut tight, her ears were more alert than ever. Bed clothes rustled as Akira and Mikoto scooted closer so as not to wake their sleeping friend.

"Harima?"

"Yeah."

"I should think so," whispered Akira. "He must have heard about her new job and come back to congratulate her; he doesn't seem like one to return just for cherry blossoms."

"Or if Tenma's not here," returned Mikoto.

"Right. He must have transferred his affections."  
>"Or he's just coming to say hi…but probably not. Everyone knows Tenma won't ever give up on Karasuma. Harima's just smart enough to see that now. At least Yakumo is still waiting for him. You know she never dated anyone?"<p>

"She's been waiting for him this whole time. It's so romantic," intoned Akira in her flattest voice.

"Yeah. I figured they'd end up together. Maybe he'll be there tomorrow! We can give two rounds of congratulations," snickered Mikoto.

"Perhaps. We'll have to see tomorrow. Goodnight, Mikoto."

"Night, Akira."

A mattress squeaked slightly as its occupant scooted back into a sleeping position. Soon, Eri heard the steady breathing of both Akira and Mikoto and she knew they were asleep.

_Great,_ she thought, turning over to find a more comfortable position on her bed. _I was actually looking forward to tomorrow, too. Now I don't even want to go. _

Somehow, in the bottom of her heart, Eri had held out a small hope that Harima had returned to talk to her, but what she just heard from Miko and Akira squashed even that tiny glimmer; it just made too much sense. If he couldn't have Tenma, why not go for the next best thing: her sister. To make matters worse, Yakumo wouldn't even turn him down.

Eri turned over again and squeezed her eyes shut, willing herself to clear her mind. An hour later, she was still awake.


	5. Chapter 5

The night passed slowly for Eri, whose mind was awash with self-pitying thoughts and lengthy inner condemnations for past selfish behaviors. When morning finally arrived, she woke from her awful half-sleep and stumbled down to the kitchen before Mikoto and Akira stirred from their comfortable slumbers. When they finally did wake up about an hour later, they made their way downstairs and, with Nakamura's help, found Eri dozing with a cup of tea in the bay window of the library.

Akira leaned over their sleeping friend and touched the teacup on the seat cushion. "Cold," she said. "It's been a little under an hour since it was brewed. Hmmph," she sniffed, distastefully curling her lip. "Tea bag, too."

Mikoto's expression could not have been a better blend of confusion and disbelief. "What?"

"She means I used a tea bag to make the little miss' tea," came Nakamura's voice from the doorway. Turning, Mikoto waved away his statement.

"I know that," she said. "But that's just silly."

"In England, her tea is preferred that way," said Nakamura to Akira, who only nodded. "Your breakfast is served, ladies."

"Should we wake her?" asked Mikoto, turning back to Eri.

"Hmm," Akira thought for a second. "No."  
>Mikoto nodded. "You're right," she whispered. "We should go out and pretend like we haven't found her like this. She'd want to pretend she slept just fine last night."<p>

Nodding, Akira headed for the door with Mikoto in tow.

Eri awoke with a start, knocking her tea cup over and spilling it on the cushion. She stood and picked it up, frowning. In the confusion of her waking, she lost her grip on the pleasant dream she had been having about Kenji Harima and she sighed with a frown. Drat. _Now_, she thought, _what woke me?_ Something crashed outside the library door and she remembered hearing a similar sound in her dream. She opened the door and saw Nakamura loudly sweeping what looked like a broken but clean cup and saucer into a dustpan.

"What are you doing, Nakamura?" She asked, holding her own cup and saucer.

"Nothing, Miss. Just dropped a few dishes. That's all." He stood and took the dishes from her grasp.

"Oh, I spilled my tea on the window seat," she said, her cheeks turning slightly rosy.

"Yes, Miss. I will handle that presently. Your friends have just come down for breakfast and are looking for you. Should I tell them anything?"

"No, no," she said. "How long have they been out here?"

"Not long, Miss."

Eri nodded. "Just don't mention where I was, ok?"

Nakamura hid a smile by turning his head. "Of course, Miss."

In the dining room, Eri found Mikoto and Akira already seated and served, eating with vigor. Mikoto looked up and waved at Eri, who smiled.

"Hey, Eri! Sleep good? We didn't see you when we got up, so we just came down here."

"That's fine," said Eri, seating herself beside Akira, across from Mikoto. "I just felt like taking a walk in the gardens for a bit when I woke up. Hadn't been there in a while." She smiled again as Masaru brought her a plate of eggs, sausage, bacon and toast.

"Oh, and have this," said Akira as she poured a cup of tea from a pot into a Japanese style tea cup and slid it over to Eri. "Much better than tea bags."

"Huh?"

Mikoto glared at Akira, who responded with a minute shake of her head.  
>"I asked Nakamura what tea you drank in England and he informed me you used tea bags. I figured you needed to return to the culturally sound." She indicated the cup in front of Eri. "NOT tea bags."<p>

Mikoto looked relieved as Eri smiled and took a sip.

"Thanks, Akira. So…" said Eri. "What have we got planned for today?"

"We still cool to go see Yakumo over at the café?" asked Mikoto, munching on her last slice of bacon.

"Sure," replied Eri. "It's been too long. How about we go over early and go shopping down there before we stop in? I haven't had the chance yet." Eri looked over at Mikoto and glanced at Akira, who both nodded.

In an hour, the three friends found themselves downtown in the shopping district, waving goodbye to Nakamura, who would return promptly with the car when summoned via phone.

"It's always the best when you don't have to drive or anything," said Mikoto, turning to Eri.

"Yeah, I guess so," said Eri, glancing into shop windows as they began their stroll down the shop-lined street. As they passed a bookstore, Eri stopped abruptly, staring into the window.

"Oh!"

Akira and Mikoto stopped. "What?" asked Mikoto.

Heading for the door of the shop, Eri tossed a quick smile at her friends. "I forgot. There's this book I've been wanting but haven't gotten yet. I might as well go get it now that I'm here…and maybe do a little browsing. You don't have to come if you don't want," she said, smiling quickly. "I'll call you when I'm done."

"Hmm. I'm pretty sure I can stand some time in there," intoned Akira thoughtfully.

"Yeah, well, sure. Why not?"

Before they could follow her, Eri was in the store and down an aisle. Akira raised an eyebrow, but said nothing.

With her friends no longer behind her, Eri leaned on a wall and composed herself. In that moment, she caught another glimpse of the person whose presence had lured her into the bookstore: Harima. He was standing over by the art section with his back to her. Eri's heart pounded as she took in his tall frame and longer hair; it was definitely longer than it had been and was now resting on his broad shoulders. He was holding a cell phone to his ear and she thought he was holding a book in his other hand. She smiled to herself and steadied her breathing before striding up behind him. She was about to tap him on the shoulder when she stopped.

"No. I don't think she'd care. Honestly, I'm wondering why _you_ do," he said into the phone.

Eri took a step back and hid behind a nearby bookcase, bumping into a little boy who looked up at her with a start.  
>"Oh. Sorry!" she said quietly, grabbing a book from the shelf and opening it to a page at random so she would look engrossed in its contents. No use in getting yourself caught while spying. She glanced at her watch. She couldn't stay in this place too long either; Mikoto and Akira were in here as well and they would want to get a move on before too long and seek her out. Eri was in no mood to be teased about stalking Whiskers. <em>Which I'm not doing<em>, she thought as she peeked back around to see Harima.

The ache she always felt was soothed when she saw that she could see his face now. He wasn't wearing sunglasses and had turned to the side, considering a book he held. She couldn't tell what it was, but he seemed to be paying more attention to the conversation he was having on the phone than the book in his hand.

"You always want to pretend you know what's best," he said before pausing. "Yeah, right. Like I'd fall for that one. I know she'll like it and that's what matters, so I'm going to get it." He hung up, closing his phone with a smack. "And she'll love it and become a success all because of me." He smiled and though Eri could only see half of it, her heart soared even as she frowned.

_She_, thought Eri. There was only one person she knew who would like an art book from Harima: Yakumo. Her fluttering heart sank instantly as her knees buckled and she slid down the bookshelf to the floor. She sighed as she sat with her arms resting on her knees. She knew today was going to be a bad day, but this was almost the worst it could get. _The only way it could get any worse is if he kisses her in front of me_, she thought, her eyes widening at the unthinkable prospect. _No, but that's too bold, too Western for him. Then again…he's spent time out in the West and he's always wanted to be the big, bold hero for his damsel in distress and that's JUST the sort of thing a dashing hero would do!_

"Oh damn it!" Eri breathed, laying her head down and covering it with the open book she was still clutching.

"They're hard, I know," came Harima's voice. Eri froze. "So many details. And then, when they're in motion, it's even harder to get it right," said Harima, standing above her.

"Mmhmm," mumbled Eri, unmoving.

"Don't worry, you'll get it some day. But trust me, that book isn't going to help any. The only way to draw is from life. Sit out there on a bench and watch them. That's the only way you'll get it right. Good luck."

Eri nodded, stuck in the same position, hiding her face until she heard his steps fade on the carpeted floor. Hesitantly, she peeked out from under the book and confirmed his absence. She let out a sigh of relief and stretched her legs across the aisle as her body relaxed. Curious, she looked at the book she was holding and smiled. _Majestic Motors: How to Draw Cars for Even the Most Hopeless of Artists_. Apparently, he thought she was some frustrated would-be artist with a hang up on cars! That would explain his cheery admonition and well wishes; if he'd known who he was talking to, he might have opted to ignore her altogether. Eri frowned again and replaced the book as she stood. Luckily, she'd opted to braid her hair instead of wearing it up in the pigtails she almost donned this morning; she hadn't worn them in a few years and felt a little nostalgic this morning, but she'd decided against it at the last minute and threw her hair back into a long braid. Pulling the braid over her shoulder, she pulled out the hair tie and pocketed it, smoothing the sections into a mass of wavy, golden tresses. She gave her head a final shake and made her way to find Akira and Mikoto and drag them out to shop some more.

"Whoa, Eri, slow down!" said Mikoto as Eri threw a few more blouses over her arm and turned to her friend.

"Why?"

"What's the rush? We've got all day!"

"Yeah," said Akira, trailing her hands over some silk blouses.

Eri laughed. "I know that, Miko! I'm just…ooh." She grabbed a nice skirt and shoved it at Mikoto. "It's just that I suddenly feel like starting over. I don't know…something about being here again and having a vacation…it's like a new start, dontcha think?"

Eri's sudden rush of frantic clothes shopping worried Mikoto, but the charming smile Eri threw her way disarmed her.

"I guess…"

"Hey! How about you two get some clothes, too! My treat!" Eri felt her smile beginning to hurt and she toned it down a bit. "I mean…I want us all to have a bit of a new start, so let's do this together. I insist."

"Well, if you insist," said Akira as she quickly picked out a few of the silk shirts that she was still caressing. Eri smiled and looked expectantly at Mikoto, who still seemed vaguely suspicious.

"I don't know, Eri. Are you sure you're ok?"

Eri scoffed. "Please. Of course I'm ok. Seriously? When was the last time we all went shopping together?" Mikoto stopped to think for a second and frowned. "Yeah, that's what I thought. Too long. So, this is the conclusion I came up with. Besides, with the festival starting tomorrow, I figured why not. We'd look nice, feel good and have some fun together. Now pick out some clothes and meet us in the dressing room." She turned on her heel and grabbed Akira's arm at the same time. Akira smiled and waved to Mikoto as she followed Eri into the changing rooms.

Mikoto's frown softened and she shrugged. Eri was dealing with a lack of sleep and leftover jetlag; she'd seen her act weird before and this was probably no exception. She turned and went back to the rack with the cute sun dresses she had eyed as soon as they walked in the door.

Within three hours, each of the girls had acquired over a week's worth of new clothes in varied styles and spring colors. Eri had also talked Akira and Mikoto into changing into new outfits for the rest of the day before she called Nakamura to come and take their purchases back to the house. By the time they made it to Café Mercado, Akira was wearing a black vest, white long sleeved shirt and black Capri pants, Mikoto had donned a tight sky blue sweater and white skirt, while Eri was now wearing a light purple V-neck shirt with ¾ length sleeves and a white skirt. Inwardly, Eri was laughing at her own cleverness. There was no way Harima would know that he had spoken to her in the bookshop this morning! The outfit she had worn in the bookshop was heading home with Nakamura and her blonde hair was now cascading down her back instead of swinging in a braid. _Not that he's that observant, but just in case_, she thought, eyeing her friends who were talking around her. _And I'm pretty sure they don't suspect a thing now. Mikoto might have at first, but she's fine now that it's over and I'm 'normal' again…_

As they walked into the café, laughing and smiling, many heads turned their way. Eri scanned the people and quickly found Yakumo over behind the counter, mixing a customer's drink with no Harima in sight. She felt elated that he wasn't there, but disappointed at the same time. The trio seated themselves down at a table by the window as Yakumo's head bobbed up in automatic greeting. But when she saw who it was, she gasped. In a minute, Yakumo was over at their table, smiling and blushing.

"I can't believe you all came today," she said, looking down at the table, obviously joyful and yet still embarrassed. "You didn't have to."

"Of course we did," said Mikoto. "I couldn't keep it to myself – I had to let everyone know about your new career!"

"Yes, we're all thrilled about it," said Akira, whose lips almost curved into a smile, but she hid it by putting her elbows on the table and resting her lips on her clasped hands.

"Yes, congratulations, Yakumo!" said Eri, smiling brightly. "I'm so glad you're breaking into the world of manga. Your talent always did surpass Whiskers." Eri looked closely at Yakumo, who blushed.

"I don't know about that. I wouldn't be where I am if Harima-senpai hadn't asked me to help him in the first place. I owe a great deal to him."

"Oh, I dunno," said Mikoto, smirking and glancing stealthily at Eri. "I think he owes you more than you owe him." Her smirk grew when she saw the corners of Eri's mouth turn down. "You gave him a place to live, you lent your talent to him, you gave him your all…" She trailed off when she saw Eri glaring at her.

"Suffice to say he helped you and you helped him," said Akira as Yakumo smiled gratefully at her. "Mutually beneficial."

"Oh, I forgot your drinks! Let me get those for you!" Yakumo hurried away to fetch the girls the same drinks they had always ordered on a regular basis since they first started coming as a group in high school.

Eri sighed a little. She couldn't help feeling jealous when she heard Yakumo talk about Harima. Even though _she_ had been the one who was "engaged" to him, Yakumo had still remained closer to him than Eri. The way Yakumo blushed and spoke of her gratitude also irked her; of course, Mikoto's goading didn't help any, either. Eri had half a mind to get up and leave without any explanation, but that would be rude. _Too much like the way I used to do things. I can't let them see how much this hurts. _After a few minutes of silence, Eri looked around for Yakumo, who hadn't returned.

"They're awfully busy today," observed Akira. "Perhaps we should visit her later after work."

"Good idea," agreed Mikoto. "I really want to get her thoughts on Tenma's situation right now – so she can tell you guys about it. Maybe we can invite her to dinner?" She looked expectantly at Eri, who shrugged.

"Sure…but how about an evening out?" She was thinking about Masaru and his tearful stew from the day before. It wasn't an appetizing thought. "We could take her to that Chinese restaurant where Sarah and _Asou_ worked." She emphasized Asou's name for Mikoto's sake, but it didn't seem to faze her.

"Eh…how about that uber-swanky place that Harima took Akira and Tenma to?" Mikoto's grin was a little devilish. No way Eri could get away with Asou remark without paying for it in kind.

"That's fine," said Eri lightly, pretending to ignore the jab. "It's a good place and-"

"So sorry about that, senpais!" said Yakumo, placing their drinks down on the table. "It's even more busy than usual with the festival-goers in town for tomorrow morning."

"We see," said Akira, sipping her tea.

"Yeah. We're sorry to barge in and take up your time when it's like this, so how about we meet up later tonight for dinner, maybe?" asked Mikoto, always the first to barge right in.

"You don't have to go through the trouble," said Yakumo, holding tightly to her empty tray.

"Oh no, we insist!" said Eri. "It'll be our congratulations dinner. And besides, I haven't heard from Tenma in a while and from what Mikoto's said about it, Tenma's in a bad place right now. We'd love to hear more about it when you have time. We want to be there for her."

Yakumo looked a little flustered, but she smiled. "In that case, certainly. I'll join you tonight. Can I meet you at the restaurant so I have time to freshen up after work?"

"Sure!" said Mikoto. "You know that swanky Western style place up on the hill near Tonarimachi? Morinoyakata? How about there?"

Yakumo nodded. "But you really don't have to…"

"Oh, stop it, Yakumo," said Eri, imperiously. "It'll be fun and you deserve it. Just text me when you're ready to head over and I'll send Masaru with a car for you so you won't have to take the bus or a taxi." She saw Yakumo open her mouth to decline, but it wasn't an offer and Eri shook her head. "Nope. None of that. You're coming and you can even bring a friend with you if it'll make you feel better. What about Sarah?"

"But she's-" Yakumo stopped her protestation and nodded. "Of course. We'll be happy to come."

Eri and Mikoto smiled and Akira watched as Yakumo bowed slightly. "If you'll excuse me…I'll finish up my shift and text you when I'm ready, senpais. Thank you and I'll see you then." Yakumo rushed off to help her other customers.

"It'll be a great night!" beamed Mikoto.

Akira silently finished her tea and eyed Eri thoughtfully.

"Your generosity never fails to astonish, Eri."

Eri shrugged. "It's nothing. Really. Dinner is dinner and Yakumo is a friend."

"I wasn't talking about dinner," murmured Akira, although she wasn't heard.

Eri wasn't seething inside, but she was more than a little perturbed. She wondered if Harima had given Yakumo the art book he bought. _Perhaps I'm wrong_, she thought. _Maybe he didn't buy it for her. Maybe he has an unknown girlfriend or maybe…no. It would have been for Yakumo. I'm certain. But maybe he's going to meet her for dinner and that's why she was protesting!_ Against her own will, Eri felt just the tiniest bit elated. _That's it! THAT'S why Yakumo was protesting dinner and didn't want to come right away! She had to be meeting up with Harima to break their dinner engagement. Good._ Eri chided herself, but it didn't stop her from feeling much better.

When they'd finished their drinks, Akira, Eri and Mikoto paid and waved goodbye to Yakumo, who still had two hours left in her shift. She watched her older sister's three best friends exit and head back up the street. When they were out of view, she headed over to a table in a corner where a customer was sitting and reading a newspaper.

"Was that Suoh and Takano who just left?" asked Harima, lowering the paper.

"Oh! I'm so sorry! I should've brought you over to them!" Yakumo blushed again.

"No, no. That's fine. I see Rich Girl's back, too." He folded the paper and watched the people moving in front of the picture window.

"They invited me to dinner," she said quietly.

"Huh."

Yakumo brushed a lock of hair back behind her ear and took a deeper breath. "They said I could bring a friend and was wondering if you'd like to come. Sarah's out of town with the sisters and you're the only other person I'd want to go with me."

He thought for a second and stood up, handing her the yen to cover his bill and tip. She smiled her quiet smile up at him and he returned it. "Sure."


End file.
